Uncertain Circumstances
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Larry is off for 6 months in space, leaving the people he cares about behind. Megan has a secret she is hesitant to share, until Larry returns and she can hide the truth no longer. Will they be able to handle these uncertain circumstances?
1. Chapter 1

_Stargazing_

They lay there on the picnic blanket, eyes turned up at the sky. The dark velvet blue was speckled with small twinkling dots of light, each a star at some stage of it's mystical life. Megan moved a little closer to Larry.

"On the eighteenth, we'll be right by that star for about fourteen seconds," he told her, rolling on his side to face her.

"I guess I'll have to get a telescope then," she murmured with a girlish grin.

"I'm sure I could work something out with the telescope at Cal-Sci," Larry rebutted.

"Thanks, but I think I want to watch by myself in my room," she countered, flashing him a smile. Wordlessly they leaned forward and their lips met.

"Is that so?" Larry asked after they had parted.

"Yeah," she murmured back, kissing him again.

"Hey, I have an idea," she whispered in his ear, her hand lacing with his.

"You do?" Larry replied, eyeing her curiously.

"Come on," she said, pulling him up. He stood and Megan took the blanket inside. Larry followed after her, scratching his head nervously. She turned to face, letting the blanket drop to the floor.

"Sit down. I'll be right back," Megan commanded, giving Larry a little push towards the couch. Larry walked her leave the room. With a sigh he leaned back and tapped his finger on his knee. He wasn't sure what Megan was planning and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he heard footsteps coming back towards the living room.

"Hi there," Megan called flirtatiously, leaning against the door frame in only her bra and underwear.

"Oh…oh my," Larry exclaimed, jumping back slightly at the sight.

Megan crossed the threshold and slid down onto the couch next to him. Her lips brushed along his neck until they reached his ear.

"What do you think?" she purred, one hand moving along the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing the buttons.

"It's…nice," Larry managed to squeak out, trying not to panic. He didn't realize this is what she wanted. Was he ready for this?

"Relax," she cooed, placing light kisses along his jaw line until she reached his lips. Slowly, she maneuvered he body until she was straddling him. Her lips had not left his and she pressed her body against him. Trembling, Larry wrapped his hands around her waist, returning her kisses.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Larry asked, catching his breath.

"Do you?" she countered, continuing to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"I…." Larry trailed off. His head hit the back of the couch as he tried to think this through.

It would be taking their relationship to a new level, a level he wasn't sure he could handle. But then again, he wouldn't know if he didn't try. Opening his eyes, he nodded at her and began to run his hand over her bare skin. She undid the last button and he began to shrug out of the material. The FBI profiler leaned back to take in his bare chest. Smiling she ran a hand over his chest, letting her fingers wander lazily towards his pants. By some primal instinct, Larry laid her down on the couch, his hands resting just above her shoulders.

"You're more beautiful than…" he trailed off.

"Than what?" she asked, her breathing become shallow with arousal.

"Than the entire universe," he answered kissing her tenderly. She giggled beneath him, her arms snaking behind her, unclasping her bra. She slowly slid it from her body, letting it fall to the floor. Larry shivered at the sight of her exposed breasts. Her hands slowly moved down his body until they rested again on his pants. Wordlessly she undid the button and zipper, pushing them towards his ankles.

"You're sweet," she purred as she felt him push against her.

Their lips met again, more passionately this time. Megan's arms wrapped around Larry's neck as he slid her underwear down her legs. It was her turn to shiver as she felt her body exposed before him. He inhaled sharply as his eyes wandered down her body. With shaking hands he removed his boxers and slowly entered her body. Larry moved slowly, delicately as they made love for the first time. His lips pressed firm kisses against her neck as they moved as one.

"That was amazing," Megan sighed as she wrapped the blanket around their bodies.

"Yes…yes it was, "Larry agreed, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

They fell asleep like that, limbs tangled beneath the blanket. Megan was the first to wake the next morning as the sun came streaming in through the window. She groaned and tried to roll over, only to find herself landing on the floor.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright?" Larry asked, sitting up as soon as her body hit the floor.

"Yeah…I'm ok," she assured him, giving him a smile.

"I'm going to go get dressed," she added, kissing him on the lips as she gathered her clothes from the night before. Larry sat up and pulled his boxers back on. He shimmied into his pants and was buttoning his shirt when Megan walked back into the room.

"Shall we go out for breakfast?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, feeling very happy. She grabbed the keys and led the way out of the apartment.

"I'm going to miss you," Megan murmured as she stirred her coffee.

"It's only six months. And you know that while I'm gone, my heart belongs t you," Larry promised, laying his hand on hers over the table.

"I know it does," she said with a smile.

Two weeks later Megan pulled into the parking lot, Don's car pulling in next to it. They were seeing Larry off. She'd dropped him off earlier and had gone to get everyone else. Charlie climbed out of his brother's car, followed by Amita and Alan.

"You ready to say goodbye?" Megan inquired of Amita and Charlie.

"I don't know," Charlie murmured. He felt like he was losing his best friend.

"Well come on, we don't want to miss him," Don said, clapping his brother on the shoulder and steering him towards the entrance. They went through clearance and were escorted to the launch pad. Larry and three other astronauts sat waiting to board the rocket. Megan hurried over to him, practically throwing herself at him.

"You come back, you hear," she ordered, kissing him firmly on the lips.

"No worries. Just look for us on the eighteenth," Larry murmured, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Megan wiped away a tear as Charlie approached his colleague and mentor of fifteen years.

"It's going to be really boring around Cal-Sci without you," Charlie said, arms crossed over his chest.

"What he's trying to say is that we're going to miss you and you better come back," Amita translated, giving Larry a hug.

"Have some fun up there, alright," Don said, slapping the physics professor on the shoulder.

"Thank you all for you well wishes. You'll all be in my thoughts and it's only six months," he said, giving each of them a hug in turn.

"You'll have to tell me about everything I miss," he said pointedly at Charlie.

"Yeah…sure," he said with a nod.

"Hey, bring me back some killer pictures," Megan called as the security guards stepped forward, signaling that the guests had to leave so the personnel could board the shuttle.

"Absolutely," Larry promised, kissing her quickly as he followed the other three on board. Don led his family and friends back out to the parking lot.

"He'll be back before we know it," he assured the group.

"Yeah…well you didn't just see your boyfriend off to space travel," Megan commented as they headed off in their separate directions.


	2. Chapter 2

_Eye to the Telescope_

Megan rolled over in bed unable to sleep. Today was the eighteenth and her stomach was in knots. She knew Larry wouldn't be able to see her but somehow it felt really magical. She missed him terribly. The whole team had noticed a change in her demeanor. She didn't like to admit it but she wasn't her usual inquisitive self. With a sigh Megan looked at the clock and groaned. It was only 4:12 but she just couldn't sleep.

"Larry what are you doing to me?" she called out to the silent room.

Resigning herself to the fact that she was not going to fall back to sleep she got up and headed for the bathroom. She turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up. Megan climbed in and let the warm water beat on her neck and back, relieving the tension that had begun to build up from the night before in anticipation. She stayed in the shower until the water began to turn cold before stepping out, wrapping a towel around her body. At least now she was clean and rejuvenated. She got dressed and headed for the kitchen to make a large pot of coffee. Just as she sat down with a bowl of hot cereal the phone on the wall rang loudly.

"Hello?" she spoke, stifling a yawn.

"Megan, it's David," David answered.

"Hi David. What's going on?" she asked.

"We have a guy in here and we need your expertise," he explained quickly.

"Be there as soon as I can," she replied and hung up. She gazed at her breakfast and suddenly felt that her appetite had gone out the window. With a sigh she dumped the food out and poured the coffee into a travel mug.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled into the FBI parking garage and hopped on the elevator. She walked in just as Charlie and Amita were coming out of Don's office. She waved to the pair as they passed.

"So what's the deal with this guy?" she addressed her colleagues, eyeing the man in the camera from the interrogation room.

"Caught him trying to flee to Canada. He's wanted in several states," Colby filled her in.

"Wanted for what?" Megan inquired. They were being very aloof about the info she was getting.

"Murder, armed robbery, arson," Don responded.

"So why is he our problem?"

"He gunned down two federal agents at the Canada border," David answered solemnly.

"Gotcha," Megan nodded her head.

"So what were Charlie and Amita doing here?" she questioned of Don.

"Oh they're working on trying to see why he was fleeing. Some equation or algorithm," Don answered with a clueless shake of his head.

With a nod and a small smile, Megan headed for her desk. Everyone was acting really weird today. Or maybe it was the fact that she was running on about three hours of sleep and two cups of coffee.

"Megan," Colby's voice infiltrated her caffeine crazed thoughts.

"Huh?" she responded, looking at him tiredly.

"Can you check his luds? See if we can find a contact in Canada that he might have been heading for?" he asked and she nodded.

The day dragged by and Megan was starting to lose focus on her work. She needed food but she had no real desire to eat. In fact she felt if she had another sip of coffee she'd be sick but if she ate anything she'd be sick too.

"Megan why don't you go home. You look awful," Don commented.

"No, I'm fine," she protested.

"Have you even eaten today?" he asked. She averted her gaze and he let out a sigh.

"Megan, get something to eat and go home," he repeated.

"That's an order," he added. She glared at him but got her coat and keys and headed for elevator.

"What's up with her?" David asked in a whisper once she we out of earshot.

"Probably misses Larry or something. Though she's been looking like she's coming down with something lately," Don muttered.

Megan climbed into her car and headed for the grocery store. She needed to stock up on milk and bread anyways. She perused the isles, tossing the occasional box of cheesecake mix or brownies into the cart. She got to the butcher section and nearly feinted. The smell of the beef and other meat made her feel queasy. She quickly moved past the section and headed to the self check out line.

Twenty minutes later she was headed home with all intentions of just going to sleep. She needed to get some sleep so that she would be awake and coherent enough to see the spaceship. She tossed the two bags of groceries on the counter along with her keys and flopped down on the couch. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep. The clock on her mantle struck six thirty and she shot upright. Her heart was beating fast from the startling sound. She closed her eyes to make the room stop spinning. When she opened them again she was hit with the very sudden and very distinct urge to puke. She rushed to the bathroom just in time.

"God that was disgusting," she muttered to herself after she'd brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth.

Satisified that she was not going to be hugging the toilet again any time soon she headed for the kitchen and unpacked the groceries. She opened a package of cheese and the smell made her have to take deep breathes. The first thought that popped into her head was a scary one.

"I can't be," she murmured. She set the cheese down and returned once more to the bathroom. She rummaged around in the medicine chest until she found a pregnancy test. Her hands shook as she opened the box and pulled out the test. She closed her eyes as she administered it. She thoroughly washed her hands afterwards and began to pace in the small space, waiting anxiously. She couldn't wait any longer and snatched up the test. Her jaw dropped at the result. It said she was pregnant.

"It has to be a mistake," she babbled to herself. She rushed from the small room and grabbed her car keys once more. She headed for the drug store and bought several different brands of tests.

"If they all say the same result then it has to be true. But if they don't…then I should see a doctor," she gave herself a pep talk on the way home.

"Positive," she muttered for the fifth time that night. They'd all been positive…which mean she was indeed pregnant. Her mind wandered back to the night before Larry left. It had been a month already. Could she really be four weeks pregnant?

"Calm down, Megan. It's not such a bad thing. Sure Larry's in space and has no idea he's going to be a father but there could be worse things," she consoled herself as she walked out of the bathroom and her cell phone began to beep loudly. She flipped it open to find the message she'd programmed in a few days ago. 'Watch for Larry' it said. She donned a smile and pulled the lens cap off the large telescope. Larry had helped her put in the exact position it would need to be in to see him. She pulled up a chair and got comfortable. She watched the seconds tick away on her watch until it was exactly 8:42.

"Oh my God!" Megan exclaimed to the empty apartment. There in the stars was the ship. She could see it so clearly it was amazing. She could swear she saw movement within. There was a hand moving back and forth. Larry was waving at her! She could actually see him waving at her. She picked up her cell and dialed the Eppes' number.

"Hello," Charlie answered, sounding annoyed.

"Charlie…Larry waved to me!" Megan exploded joyously.

"You could see it? Wow…that's one hell of a telescope," he commented. There was a muffled sound as he covered the speaker, probably to inform Amita of the news.

"That was so cool!" she sighed as she leaned back in the chair. She'd forgotten she was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs and tipped all the way back.

"Megan! Are you ok?" Charlie asked, concern resonating in his voice.

"Yeah I'm fine…I just fell over," she said with a grunt as she sat back up.

"Well I've got to get going," Charlie muttered.

"Oh…ok. Well I just wanted to tell you," she said and hung up. She gazed out at the starry night sky in bliss. She'd seen him wave to her. It was the greatest feeling she'd ever felt. It was like he'd stolen a star just for her and sent it shining down on her.

"Larry Fleinhardt you sure have a hell of a way to impress a girl," she called out with a giggle, her chin resting in her hands.


	3. Chapter 3

_Things Deep Inside_

Two months had passed since the 18th and Megan had begun to control her morning sickness that unfortunately came at all hours of the day and night. Remarkably, and it may have been the fact that all of her co-workers were male; she was able to hide the pregnancy. Her stomach was enlarging rapidly and she was a little worried about that. She had an appointment withy obstetrician this afternoon to see how the baby was progressing. She was currently twirling around in her desk chair bored out of her mind.

"Hey Megan. I need you to go drop some things off with Charlie," Don called, tossing a few file folders at her.

"Sure, Don," she replied and headed to her car. The drive over to Cal Sci was short and pleasant. She had some instrumental music playing. She'd been told by several other women in the clinic that it helped sooth the baby. She wasn't sure it worked but she'd started to enjoy the music anyways. She was on her way to Charlie's office when she ran into Amita.

"Hi Megan," Amita greeted, tucking a long strand of black hair behind her ear.

"Hey Amita. Have you seen Charlie? I have some files for him," the FBI agent informed the young woman.

"Yeah he's in his office. I'll walk with you," Amita offered. Megan held the files in front of her, careful to mask her belly.

"Can I ask you something?" Amita blurted halfway to the office.

"Sure…what's on your mind?" Megan queried.

"Are you pregnant?"

"What?" Megan asked defensively.

"Well…you're holding those folders in front of your stomach and well its kind of obvious," Amita answered, blushing slightly.

"Yeah…I am…three months," Megan admitted.

"Not that Don or Colby or David noticed," she added darkly.

"Men," Amita chuckled.

"Look…can you not mention it to them. I don't want them to know…not until Larry knows," Megan begged.

"Whoah...hang on…Larry's going to be a dad?" Amita giggled.

"Yeah. He is. Won't that be a surprise," Megan snickered.

"I'd say so. Here, why don't we sit down," Amita pointed to a bench.

"What about the files?" Megan countered. Amita took them and spotted a student heading towards Charlie's office.

"Hey Serena. Can you give these to Professor Epps?" Amita asked.

"Sure Dr. Ramanujan," Serena assured the young professor, taking the folders and continued on her way.

"That works."

"So have you been feeling ok?" Amita asked, looking very glad to have something other than FBI cases and math to talk about.

"Well the morning sickness is a bitch but…I guess you get used to it. The baby is doing well," Megan trailed off.

"It's been hard to eat though. I get queasy at pretty much any meat or dairy product," she admitted.

"That's awful. Did you ask your doctor about it?" the younger woman inquired.

"No…I was going to ask today. I have an appointment in forty minutes. Do you want to come with me? For the company?" Megan offered.

"I'd love to. I think Charlie would have a heart attack if I got pregnant," she added with a huge grin.

"I think Don would have a heart attack too. His baby brother becoming a father before him. Of course you can't blame Charlie. Don just hasn't had much luck. It's a hazard of the job. I guess I got lucky," Megan rambled.

"Yeah…I'd say you got very lucky. You've made such a difference in Larry's life," Amita complimented.

"Yeah. I mean I think it takes a special person to get Larry. I feel like I get him. And my God is he romantic. Even when he's just blabbering on about star systems and supernovas, you feel like you're in the center of it all. Like it all is a description of you," Megan sighed happily.

"I'll take your word for it," Amita remarked.

"I just hope he doesn't freak out too much when he gets back. It is kind of mean to spring on him six months into it, you know," Megan muttered.

"Not much you can do. I think once he gets over the shock he'll be really excited," Amita assured Megan. The latter checked her watch and jumped.

'We'd better get going. I don't want to be late," she murmured and dragged Amita along with her back to the car.

"So how does this whole thing go? They don't like stick things in you?" Amita asked, embarrassment evident on her face.

"No…it's just a routine ultrasound. They just pour this really cold gel on your stomach and spread it around then use an ultrasound monitor to check the baby's heart rate and vitals and growth," Megan explained as she put the car in the park and turned off the engine. The pair climbed out and linked arms as they climbed the stairs.

"Megan Reeves," one of the nurses called out. Megan and Amita stood up and followed her into one of the examination rooms.

"Who is this?" her obstetrician asked as he walked in.

"This is Amita Ramanujan. She's a friend of mine from work," Megan answered.

"I'm just along for the ride," Amita muttered.

"It's always good to have moral support," the doctor said with a kind smile.

"This is going to be cold," he told Megan as he spread the gel on her exposed stomach.

"Am I supposed to be this big this early?" she asked as he turned on the ultrasound machine.

"Well some people show more than others," he replied as he began to examine her.

"Here's the baby's heart…beating strong. And look…there's an arm and that's the baby's head," the doctor pointed out.

"That's so cool," Amita breathed.

"What's that?" Megan pointed to another shadow on the monitor. The doctor looked at it closely.

"It looks like…another heartbeat," he admitted.

"Excuse me? You didn't just say another heartbeat…as in…another baby?" Megan rasped.

"I did…it definitely looks like you're having twins Ms. Reeves. This one seems to have been hiding behind the other baby the past few months and has just decided to make its presence known," he answered, patting her arm.

"Oh great….as if Larry wasn't going to flip out enough. Now there's two," she moaned.

"Hey what's that?" Amita questioned, pointing at another shadow near the bottom of the first baby.

"Interesting. It looks like baby A is a girl," he murmured. Gender wasn't usually evident this early. He moved the monitor around more on Megan's abdomen to get a view of the second baby.

"And this one looks like a boy. We'll have to check back next month to be sure but it looks like you've got a set of fraternal twins," he confirmed.

"Thank you," Megan mumbled and began to wipe the gel off her skin. She paid her co pay at the front desk and headed for her car in silence.

"What's wrong?" Amita asked once they'd pulled out of the garage.

"I just can't believe I'm having two. And I can't believe they couldn't detect the second baby until now. I mean wouldn't they have heard two heartbeats?" Megan babbled.

"I'm no expert but maybe the position he was in made his heart beat in sync with his sister so that they couldn't detect more than one," Amita suggested.

"Maybe. It's just a lot to take in all at once," Megan muttered.

"Thanks for coming with me. I don't think I could have handled that alone," she added after a brief silence.

"Any time. It was fun. So you think the guys will start to notice?" Amita replied.

"Nah. They don't notice anything unless it's like two inches from their nose," Megan chuckled. you drop me off at Cal Sci. Charlie and I are going out for dinner tonight," Amita asked.

"Sure…rub it in my face. You can still see your boyfriend," Megan teased.

"I heard Larry waved to you from space," Amita commented with a smile.

"Yeah…it was the most amazing feeling. I'd just found out I was pregnant that night too. It was like the baby could feel it too," Megan explained with a goofy grin.

"That's so remarkable. You should tell Larry about it. Who knows. Maybe Larry felt some bizarre cosmic connection," Amita teased.

"I wouldn't doubt it. He's an amazing guy. Though babies are going to mean a big step. We will have to live under one roof. No more sleeping in steam tunnels with two mouths to feed," she giggled as she pulled into the parking lot at Cal Sci. As Amita got out Megan grabbed her hand.

"Remember…please don't tell Charlie," Megan begged, giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," Amita promised, squeezing Megan's hand.

"Where'd you two go?" Charlie asked, giving Megan a small wave as she drove off.

"Just went out for a while. Had some girl time," Amita answered, She led him off towards her own car.

"Girl time huh. In the middle of the day?" he prodded.

"Yes. So what. Did you get the files from Don?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yes I did. I looked over them but I thought maybe…after dinner you'd like to look at them with me…maybe over a glass of wine," he whispered in her ear.

"Mixing work and play?" she teased, pulling him into a brief kiss.

"Well…what do you?" he asked, gazing at her with his sweet brow eyes.

"It's a date," she answered.


	4. Chapter 4

_Returning from Afar_

Megan and Amita were walking out of the obstetrician's office three months later when Megan's phone began to ring. Amita had become her monthly companion on her visits, getting to know the babies as Megan did. She served almost as a surrogate father in the exam room.

"I can't believe they're getting so big," Amita gushed as Megan picked up.

"Hello?" Megan spoke into the small device, holding up a hand for Amita to be quiet.

"The shuttle just made reentry into the atmosphere. We're all heading down to the station. You want to join us?" Don informed Megan.

"Hell yeah. We'll meet you there," Megan exclaimed and the pair began to run for the car.

"Let me drive," Amita ordered. Megan was very large. She'd called in sick several times in the past few weeks, claiming she had a nasty virus and didn't want to get the rest of the team sick. Don had bought it.

"So they all find out today," Amita stated as they jumped onto the highway.

"Yeah…they do. I'm nervous," Megan admitted.

"Don't worry. You can do it. And I mean if they don't notice right away then I think they need their eyes checked," Amita chuckled as she spotted Don's car. She pulled to a stop and rolled down her window.

"Are they letting us in?" she called. Colby rolled down his window.

"I don't think so. We have to wait out here for him," he shouted back. Amita nodded and turned back to Megan.

"So the wait begins," Megan sighed.

"And the wait begins," Amita repeated as she laid her head back on the head rest. About ten minutes later Megan sat up and began to gesticulate wildly.

"Look! You can see the rocket. Look!" she shouted as if it was Christmas morning and she was opening the gift she'd been longing for all year.

"I see it," Amita affirmed, rubbing her ear from how loud Megan had screamed.

"Oo…one of the babies is kicking," Megan groaned as she rubbed her stomach.

"Maybe they know Daddy is coming home," she teased.

"Probably. I think it was the boy," Megan stated after a few seconds of searching.

"You really need names for those two," Amita chuckled.

"Well I wanted to wait until Larry got back and had time to adjust," Megan explained reasonably.

"I know. I'm only joking," Amita snickered.

Suddenly there was a deafening droning sound and the inhabitants of the cars looked to see the shuttle docking. It was only a matter of time now until Larry would be off the shuttle, back in civilian clothes and in their company. Megan unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car. She made sure to stay out of sight of the other car but began to pace back and forth.

"Anxious?" Amita asked, getting out and joining her.

"Yeah…and I needed to stretch my legs," Megan answered with a smile.

Their conversation was cut short by the blare of a door being opened from the inside and the astruanants walked out proudly. The inhabitants of the other car jumped out and all swarmed Larry. He received several pats on the back and handshakes.

"Where's Megan?" he asked after he'd pulled Charlie into a firm hug.

"Hey stranger," Megan called, walking behind Amita, finally emerging at the very last second.

"Oh…my," Larry gasped as he took in her very large belly.

"When did that happen?" Don asked, looking completely flabbergasted.

"I'd say about six months ago," Larry posited.

"Yeah…" Megan said blushing.

"You knew?" Charlie accused Amita.

"I promised I wouldn't say anything!" Amita protested.

"So all those monthly girl time trips were really what….doctor's appointments?" Charlie asked and both Megan and Amita nodded.

"This is remarkable," Larry breathed, reaching a hand out to touch Megan's stomach.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would," Megan whispered to him.

"Well I must say I am very surprised but the thought had crossed my mind," Larry answered, jumping slightly as one of the babies kicked him.

"Megan, why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" Don questioned sternly.

"Because I figured it was polite to let the father know before you guys," she snapped back.

"That's going to be one very large child," Larry hypothesized.

"Actually….there's two…a boy and a girl," Megan corrected.

"Two…two of them! Oh my stars," Larry railed, wrapping her in a firm hug.

"Wait…you're having twins! Larry you're ok with this?" Charlie asked, looking positively perplexed that his friend would be so calm with the prospect of parenthood looming over him.

"Well Charles…I was a part in the creation of these two beings and I should take great joy in their existence. Sure I may not have the most…conventional methods to living life but I think that this is a new chapter of my life that needs to be fully explored," Larry answered.

"Megan…take the rest of your pregnancy off…please," Don begged.

"Trying to get rid of me that quickly?" she teased.

"Yeah…and take care of her," he added, pointing at Larry.

"Where are you three going?" Charlie called after the three FBI agents.

"We have a case to work. They have family bonding to do," David called.

"Come on. I say we go out for dinner," Amita proposed. Larry and Megan nodded jovially and Charlie halfheartedly agreed.

"It will be fun," Amita told him, kissing his cheek.

The foursome pulled up to a quaint diner and got a booth. The waitress smiled at them, taking note of Megan's very large stomach. They were silent for a long time, each engrossed in their respective menus. They finally had to speak when the waitress came back to take their orders.

"You know…every night when I looked out my window, no matter where we were I could always see Cassiopeia," Larry commented offhandedly.

"That's amazing. I didn't think that was possible to see it every single night since you were orbiting the earth," Amita responded.

"Cassiopeia huh?" Megan muttered.

"What are you thinking?" Charlie asked.

"Well…we're having a boy and a girl," she began, tapping her chin.

"I see where you're going with this," Larry jumped in.

"Someone ant to fill me in?" Charlie asked, looking lost.

"Baby names," Amita whispered in his ear. He nodded as if a light bulb had just gone off.

"It's a very pretty name and I couldn't imagine you not naming a child after a constellation," Amita teased.

"And it's easily shortened to Cassie," Megan added.

"Well…what about a middle name? There's Andromeda. Orion doesn't really work," Charlie suggested.

"I like the name Alexandra. Cassiopeia Alexandra Fleinhardt," Megan tested out.

"It sounds really pretty…just like a star," Amita gushed.

"Amita's right. It does sound like a star," Larry mused.

"Well…Ow! Cassie just kicked me," Megan chuckled after the pain had subsided.

"Oh dear. Cassiopeia, please refrain from assaulting your mother," Larry addressed Megan's stomach. An older couple sitting a booth or two away eyed the foursome oddly.

"Haha…I don't think she heard you," Megan sighed.

"Well what about her brother? He needs a name too," Charlie moved the conversation along.

"Very true. I'm not really too fond of any of the male named constellations but I do know Megan is quite fond of the name Gabriel," Larry answered his colleague.

"Oh, Larry. You remembered," Megan beamed.

"It was my grandfather's twin brother's name. He died when he was only three days old," Megan explained quickly, receiving understanding nods from the pair across the table.

"Well it sounds like you're going for a sort of biblical theme with him. So maybe a significant biblical name. Like David or Joseph?" Amita proposed.

"Or…Jordan. Like the River that Christ was baptized in," Charlie added.

"Since when did you become a religion buff?" Megan teased.

"I know things," he teased back.

"Hmm…Gabriel Jordan. It has a nice syntax and flow to it," Larry commented, looking very pleased.

"I like it too. Who knew…we came for dinner and we're leaving with two named babies," Megan laughed.

"Cassiopeia and Gabriel," Larry tried out. They were both very much to his liking. They lapsed into silence as their meals were brought out. Larry's mind wandered to all he had surely missed in the past six months. The question did sneak into his consciousness as to why he was so calm about Megan's pregnancy. At first he was indeed shocked. But their night together had played through his mind quite often on his voyage through the stars. He recalled a conversation they'd had not too long prior to that in which she'd confided that she had stopped taking birth control to get the hemoglobin back up in her blood. Perhaps she hadn't yet gone back on the regimen. Either way he was blessed with two children.

"You know…Megan said that she could see you waving to her through the telescope," Amita broke into his thoughts.

"You saw it! Good!" Larry exclaimed.

"Yeah…and it just felt so amazing. The babies felt it too," Megan affirmed.

"You know...I think I felt a similar feeling of awe and amazement. Perhaps it was the cosmos telling me had a great gift waiting here for me," Larry posited with a broad grin.

"Come on. Let's get you two home. I'm sure you want to spend some quality time together," Amita suggested as Charlie handed the waitress the bill and cash. The group of four pulled on jackets and headed out the door. Each couple held hands as they meandered back to the car.


	5. Chapter 5

_Written in the stars_

"Larry!" Megan howled at the top of her lungs. Larry rushed out of the bathroom, half his face still covered in shaving cream.

"What? What's wrong?" he questioned nervously. Megan wouldn't be full term for another three weeks.

"I can't…breathe," she gasped.

"Well not when you yell like that," he said with a sigh.

"No…I mean…Ow!" she cried. She was curled up on the couch, her knees pressed as close to her chest as they could get.

"Oh dear…no this can't be happening. You're early!" Larry exclaimed.

"The doctor said twins are generally born early," Megan managed to get out once the contraction had finished.

"Right…ok…so do we go to the hospital? Are you packed….am I packed?" he rambled, scratching his head and spinning in circles.

"Oh…stop spinning. You're making me queasy," Megan moaned.

"So sorry," he apologized.

"The bags are in the closet. I'll be in the car," Megan said, standing very slowly to make sure she wasn't hit with another contraction. Larry dashed into the bathroom, wiped the shaving cream off his face and headed for the bedroom. He pulled on pants and shoes and grabbed the two duffle bags in the closet. He pulled on his coat as he frantically ran out the door.

"Are you doing ok?" Larry asked as he paused at a stop sign.

"You didn't stop," Megan stated, partly shocked and partly amused.

"Well…you're going into labor. Stop signs aren't really on our side here," Larry reasoned.

"You crack me up," Megan giggled as Larry pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. He got out and ran around to the other side of the car. As quickly as they could, which wasn't very quickly with a very pregnant woman and a frantic boyfriend; inside and to the front desk?

"Yes, may I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Well…we don't have an appointment but um…she's going into labor," Larry explained as calmly as he could.

"Let me page a nurse and she'll take you to a free room," the receptionist replied with a serene look. She picked up a phone and dialed an extension. After exchanging a few words a nurse appeared with a wheelchair. Megan gratefully lowered herself into and the nurse led Larry down a long hall and to the maternity ward.

"Here you go. Let's get you settled and I'll be back to check your vitals," the nurse explained, getting Megan situated in the bed. Megan leaned back against the pillow.

"The contractions seem to have stopped for now," Megan informed Larry who was seated next to her, holding her hand tightly.

"Alright let's see how're you doing," the nurse said after returning.

"My name is Marsha by the way," she added as she took Megan's blood pressure and temperature.

"Now have you been having contractions?" Marsha asked.

"Yeah…not too many…and they were pretty far apart but the doctor said I wouldn't make it to full term," Megan answered.

"Twins I see. Why don't we take a look at them and see how they're doing," Marsha suggested and Megan nodded. As usual she winced against the cold gel as it was applied.

"Baby A, the little girl," Marsha began.

"Cassie," Larry interrupted.

"And the boy is Gabe," Megan added quickly.

"Cassie looks good. She's head down. Looks like she's moving a little bit. And Gabe…he's a bit sideways. Hopefully as your labor progresses his head will turn down and they'll be both set for a vaginal delivery," Marsha finished.

"Now just lay back and relax. Let the contractions come. And when they start to get closer together let me know and we'll check the baby's again," Marsha explained as she left.

"This is kind of exciting," Megan breathed.

"Do you want me to call Don and Charlie?" Larry asked.

"Yeah," she stated. She couldn't believe this journey was coming to a close. She drifted off into a light sleep only to be awakened what felt like seconds later by pain ripping through her body. She gritted her teeth and held onto the bed rails as she fought through it. Her body relaxed just as soon as Larry walked back in.

"They told me to keep them updated," Larry murmured.

"I just had another contraction," Megan informed him, running a hand through her hair.

"Should we get Marsha?" he asked.

"No…not yet. We should wait until they get closer together," she answered.

The time passed slowly in their room. It was punctuated by Marsha stopping by every half hour or so to check on Megan's progress. Since getting into the hospital about two hours ago, she'd dilated to two centimeters.

"You're doing really well. Only 8 more centimeters to go until you can start pushing," Marsha consoled.

"How much longer until then?" Megan asked, sipping a glass of water.

"Well with first time moms it's usually about a centimeter an hour but everyone's body reacts differently," the nurse answered.

"Great," Megan groaned and tossed her head back on the pillow.

Two more hours passed and Megan's contractions were coming much closer together. The next time that Marsha checked her cervix she sprinted from the room and Megan's OBGYN entered.

"Well hello there you two," he greeted with a wave.

"What? Is something happening?" Larry asked, jumping to his feet.

"Larry, sit down," Megan ordered.

"You've progressed a lot since we last checked you. You went about four centimeters to about eight," Marsha informed the patient.

"So it could be in an hour so that we start this whole thing. How do the babies look?" the doctor asked and the nurse started an ultrasound.

"Cassie looks very good. Head is down and she's moving towards the birth canal. Gabe has rotated and he's in about the same position. Looks good for a vaginal delivery," he affirmed, making Megan smile.

"Now do you want an epidural?" Marsha questioned.

"No…I want to do this naturally. I know it's going to hurt like hell but I work in the FBI. I think I can handle giving birth," Megan replied.

"Ok. I'll be back in fifteen minutes," Marsha assured her and both she and the doctor left the room.

"We're so close. You're not going to faint on me now are you?" Megan asked her boyfriend.

"I hope not," he answered, looking innocently cute.

"Ow!" Megan cried as another contraction hit her. She was at least getting used to how the felt even if they did intensify.

By the time Marsha returned fifteen minutes later with the doctor, Megan was 10 centimeters and very ready to push.

"Ok…we're going to rupture your water," the doctor warned Megan as he slid a hook between her legs and snagged the membrane covering the infants within.

"Christ that hurt," she cried out.

"Just take a deep breath honey," Marsha urged, helping Megan to get her legs up in a good pushing position.

"I feel like I need to push," Megan announced. The doctor gave her a nod to go ahead and do what she felt best. She bore down and let out a very pained scream. In the back of her mind she was starting to wish she had taken an epidural. She had to endure not one but two deliveries.

"Relax. Now push again sweetie," the doctor instructed. Megan dutifully did as she was told and she felt pressure building in her nether regions. After several pushes she was instructed to reach down. She let out a laugh as she felt her baby's head protruding.

"It's amazing," Larry gasped, kissing Megan's cheek.

"Come on Megan. One or two more good pushes and this one will be out," Marsha coaxed. Megan took a deep breath and pushed for all she was worth and miraculously out slid Cassie. As soon as the nursing staff on hand cleaned out her nasal passages and lungs she screamed loudly, joining in chorus with her mother. Nine minutes later Gabe joined his sister in the world outside their mother's womb.

"We did it," Megan sighed once she'd been cleaned up. She took Gabe from the nurse's hands and gazed down at him. He blinked back at her with small sleepy eyes. Larry sat in the chair beside the bed, cradling Cassie to him protectively.

"My little constellation," he whispered, rocking her gently. There was a knock on the door and the new parents looked up to see Don, Charlie, Amita, Alan, Colby and David with balloons.

"Come on in," Megan said happily.

"Wow…they're so small," Charlie breathed, gazing down at Gabe in Megan's arms.

"You were that small once. Both you and Don were," Alan whispered to his younger son.

"So who is who here?" Don questioned.

"Isn't it obvious. That's Cassie and that's Gabe," Amita answered, pointing at the pink and blue hats.

"Right," he muttered sheepishly.

'You want to hold him?" Megan offered Amita. She nodded vehemently and took the newborn.

"Hi Gabriel. Happy birthday," Amita cooed. The infant gurgled at her.

"Not letting this one go huh?" Charlie asked Larry.

"She's so perfect," he answered as Cassie managed to get an arm free of the waddling and wrap her hand around her father's index finger.

"Yeah…" Charlie agreed. Amita tapped him on the shoulder and he looked down at Gabe.

"He's adorable too. Little Fleinhardts. Who would have thought," Charlie mused.

"Yes…who would have thought," Larry agreed as Cassie snuggled closer to his chest.


End file.
